22
Concord, Mass.
1898.
March 19
  Cloudy with fresh south-west wind and heavy
rain through the forenoon.
  I sailed all the way down river this morning
through a pouring rain which did not appear
to depress the birds, at least the Red-wings
and Song Sparrows, which were singing freely every where.
  While I was writing in the cabin early in the
forenoon a Fox Sparrow appeared in the path in
front of the door and began eating the hemp seed
which I have strewn there to attract the birds
and which has been hitherto visited by only a
few Song Sparrows.
  Just after dinner the unmistakeable [sic] sound of
Whistlers' wings came in through the open door
and rushing out I saw a flock of seven of these
Ducks, closely followed by a pair, pass high
overhead and out of sight into the mist that
hung over the Great Meadows. 
  An immense flock of Red-Wings were singing
in chorus (or medley, rather) on the Bedford shore
opposite the cabin. From where I sat inside the
door the sound closely resembled that of escaping steam.
I also heard Rusty Blackbirds and one Bluebird. 
  There was a Herring Gull flying about over the
mouth of the Mill Brook when I started
this morning.